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Bcsr AVAl'tAB-lfi coPY UNITED STATES t me OFFICE.

ERNST KBAUSE, OF STEGLITZ, NEAR BERLIN."AND HANS BL'U'CHER, OF lDEIPZIG-GOHLIS,

GERMANY, ASSIGNORS, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CHEMICAL FOUNDATION, INC A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

No Drawing.

1 '0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known. that we, ltuxs'r lumusn, a subject of the King of Bavaria, residmg at Steglitz, near Be.lin, Germany, and Mans production of nutritive extracts from east Bnil'cnnu, a subject of the king of Saxony, and residing at Lcipzigliiohlis, Gern'iany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plastic Masses and Processes for Making Same; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to a plastic mass to be used a substitute ior horn, cbonitc, celluloid, alalith or the like. and to the procmss for ma ing same.

The invention is based upon the fact ascertained by us that residues of yeast, and more especially the residues resulting, from the can be converted into PltlShlC IHUS-SUS by reacting upon them with aldehydcs and more especially with formaldehyde. The residues mentioned above substantially consist of alhuminous residues of the yeast plasma and including the walls of the cells of the depleted yeast particles and alnuminoid bodies.

Although it was not to be expcclvil that the process could be carried out as well with fresh yeast not yet used for thiproduction of extracts, We Ill-V0, asccrtainml by experiment that it is quite feasible to produce plastic masses from the yeast direct. the ah bumin of the yeast participatiup as a whole in the reaction with aldehydes and being adapted to be used for the manuflmture ol. substitutes for horn, celluloid and the like. e have found, however. that it is necessary, if fresh yeast is used, to materially reduce the percentage of water.

It is obvious that other allnnninous substances rcact-ing with, aldchydcs, and any kind of filling-materials may be added to the yeast pulp.

Th1; properties of the plastic masses obtained ca Furthe he \ariod within wide "limits by adding to the mixture tar or tar .foils. ll owever these additions do not only act mechanically upon the product obtained in affecting its physical properties-hut will also exercise a chon'ucal inlluciuzc, the aldchydes and lretones contained therei being Specification of Letters Patent.

mama: filed August 20, 1915. Serial. No. 48,587.

I I PLASTIC MASS AND PROCESS FOR MAKING SAME.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

able to react with the yeast, justlikc the aldehydcs added to this purpose; and to replace these aldehydcs partly or altogether. An additionof tar residues, of pitch, orsulfur will equally have an influence upon the mass obtained, as far as its physical properties are concerned. The phenols contained in the taralso take part in the reaction and in the production of the plastic mass, their capacity of reacting with aldehydes and more especially with formaldehyde. being well known. I

A further addition adapted to react with aldehydes and more especially with formaldehyde, and which may advantageously be reacted upon by such aldchydes' together with the yeast or residues of yeast, the phe- In practising our invention we prefer dehydrating as far as possible .the masses of yeast treated with aldchvdcs. such as for in- I k stance formaldehyde and its pol ymerids, and in subject the dehydrated masses to the combined action of heat and pressure. In order to dehydrate the mass, a number of different nu-ihods may be employed. Thus in the case of yeastor \'(:l..\'t rcsidm J: being treated without any additions. they are reacted upon with l'ornuddehyde and the product obtained is simplyconramtrated and dried. If mixlures of alb'uminous substances capable of being precipitated and of yeast are employed, one may first of all precipitate the mixture,

. for instance by boiling and coagulation. if-

The method may further be practiscdwith dry yeast, thus making it independent from the place of production of the' yeast, dry yeast being sul'liciently stable to allow of 'being transported over long distances offer-mg the further advantage of weighing little on account of its being free of water.

- We wish it to be understood that'the'dry yeast here referred to is not pressed yeast but real dried yeast dehydrated,- by 'any suitable method, .so as-to form a dry po w' der. The dry yeast is treated with ormal dehyde by 'moistening it 'with an aqueous solution of formaldehyde or by treatin it wi h formaldehyde gasor mixing it wit a po meridof :formaldyhyde' such as 'for in- [stance paraform. The. raw matenal thus hyde solution had been used, and subjected to the action of heat and pressure. Of course all kinds of additions may-be made during this stage of the process-such additions acting merely as filling substances or. else reacting with the formaldehyde; substances of this latter type are for instance. \huminous sul'istances," glue,. phenols and other tar products.

Example I: 1000 parts of yeast pulp con lution of formaldehyde and 15 parts of coaltar, the yeast having previously been killed by heating. The mixture is dried under continuous stirring and is then molded in' a 40 press adapted to heated under a pressure of 50 atmospheres and at 95 (legIa'C.

Example III: 1000 parts of yeast pulp containing 15 per c'ent.'dry substance are mixed with 150 parts of a 40 per cent. solution of formaldehyde and the mixture is dried. To the ground product are added 15 parts of heavy tar-oil and 5 parts of pitch and the whole is then subjected to a pressure ofmore than 150 atmospheres at more than" 00 degr. C. in a press adapted to be heated. Example-1V: .1000 parts of 'yeast pulp are mixed with 15 parts of phenol and 150 parts of a 40 per cent. solution of formaldehylie. The mixture is dried, ground and molded at 95- degr. C. in a press adapted to be heated, the pressure employed being above 150 atmospheres. r

- Example V 1000 parts of yeast.pulp"containing 15 per cent. of dry substance are mixed and boiled with 50 parts of casein,

either solid or in'solution. The mixture is then treated with 160 parts of a 40 percent. formaldehyde solution, dried and subjected to pressure at temperatures above 90 degr. Ca

llxan'1ple*Vl: 1000: parts of yeast" pulp )dbtained is then dried, if aqueous formalde-' containing 15 per cent. of dry substance homogeneously mixed and boiled with a watery solution of 20 parts of albumin. The precipitate obtained 1 by coagulation. and

"containing also the yeast is filtered andmixed with 17 5 parts of a 40 r cent. solution of forn'laldehydes The mixture is dried and moldedat temperatures above 95 de a pressure of more than 150 atmospheres in 'applied. v .75 Tlxam le- VII: 1000 arts of east ulp P P y P contain'in 15 per cent. of dry substance are mixed witl a watery solution of 20 parts of blood albumin and coagulated by. boiling. The precipitate is mixed with 175 partsof a 4.0 per cent. solution-of formaldehyde. The- 111ixtu1'e'isd1'ied and mixed, with 10 parts of powdered glue, to which may be added 7 5 parts of colophony and 8 parts ofcellu hit]. This mixture is dried and molded at 8 temperatures above 95 degr. (3., the pressure applied bein above 150 atmospheres. V Example VII 1000 partsof' dry yeast are stirred with 600 parts of a 10 per cent.-

solution of forn'ialdehyde. The mixture is dried, is then ground, ifznecessa'ry and is molded under a pressure; of 20.0 atmospheres and .at a temperature of at least 901- degr..,C. I y

Example IX 1000 parts of dry y vast are mixed with 200 parts of drycasein; the mixture is stirred with 720 parts of 2.140 per cent. formaldehyde solution, the resulting, mass is dried and subjected either in a coarse-grain condition or, if desired, in pulverized state to a temperatureofatleast 90 degr. C and a molding pressure above 150 atmospheres.

Example X11000 partsof dry yeast are I I: intimately mixed with 250 parts of para form and the mixture is then molded under a pressure of at least 100' atmospheres at a temperature of from 120;to'.160 ,degr. C. .The term formaldehyde as used inthe claims is meant to iricludea'lsb aldehydes I other-than formaldehyde, substances, such as ,coal-tar;and'its products, eontainin aide hyr'le's', and further all the polymers 0 form: aldehyde and ofothera'ldehydes. I

By this method there is produced a 116.

product from the reaction of yeast and form aldehyde subjected to heat and high pres -sure, said product varying-1n its physical characteristics in' accordance with the reacting conditions and characterizedby its insolubllity 1n alcohol,.acetonej alltalis and most other solvents.

l. The processfor making plastic masses which consists in treating yeast with formaldehyde and subjecting the productre sulting from such treatment to 'the' combined action of heat and high pressure. v I 2. The process for making plastic masses which consists ,in treating dry yeast 'with ariaeee formaldehyde mud suhjecting the product resulting from such treatment to the combined action of heat and high pressure.

which yeast and other substances to 3, The process for making plastic masses consists in treating a mixture of yeast and other albuminous substances with formaldehyde and subjecting the product resnlting from such treatment to the com- Joined action of heat and high pressure.

The'process for making plastic masses which consists in treating a mixture of yeast and suitable filling, materials with orm aldehyde and sub ecting the produet resulting from such treatment to the combined action of heat and high pressure.

5. The process of making plastic masses consisting in'coagulating a mixture of yeast and a filler and then treating the product with formaldehyde in the presence of both heat and high pressure.

6. The process for making plastie masses which ct'JIlSlStS 1n. .sub ectmg a mixture of treatment to elfect coagulation,

drying the precipitate oband subjecting the resulting mass to the combmed action of heat and pressure.

7. The herein described plastic mass re sulting from the reaction of yeast and Formaldehyde under the heat and high pressure, said product var ing in its physical characteristics in accordance with the reactingconditions and characterized with its insoluhility in alcohol, acetone, alkalis and most other solvents.

Iii Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNST KnAUsE. HANS BLUOHER.

combined action of 

